Dumb-bell.



PATBNTED APR 18, 1905 2592 C *v W L L m/ ,\V\ w f P 2 fv\ 0/ if. 7 www Ui 6, ,l C u Jmuv a l M, QQ@ www E@ f fw I G. m 0 7 A Il L wk? {ggf/5565 a mmmx MZ? Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT Ointice.

GEORGE H'. SHEPHERD, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

DUNlB-BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,407, dated April 18, 1905.

Application flied March 31, 1904. Serial N0. 200,896.

Be it known that I, (nricoizoii HENRY Simiiiiciii), a citi/.en of the Kingdom of Great Britain, residing at No. 1 Rue Caumartin, Paris, in the Department of Seine, France, have invented a new and useful linproved Dumb-Bell, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvement in dumb-bells destined for physical exercises and havingl especially for their obji :t to cause the pupil to grasp vigorously in his hands the bars or handles to which the weights are connected.

It is recognized in practice that the development of the muscles, both of the arms, of the wrist, and of the hand, is inuch more etlicient when the dumb-bell is lirinly grasped in the hand during the exercise. This result is obtained according to my invention by attaching' a special bar to each of the balls of the dumb-bell. These two bars being brought together end to end or connected one to the l other by a hinge or by a pivot must be grasped simultaneously in the same hand. The weight upon eachof the balls tends constantly to place the two bars of the same diiinb-bell at a certain angle or to make them turn upon their point of contact. lt follows that the hand is obliged to exercise an energetic and continuous compression upon the handle coutaining the bars of the dumb-bell in oi'der to maintain said bars during the exercises in line one with the other.

In theaccompanying drawingsl have illustrated different models of dumb-bells constructed according' to my invention.

Figure 1 shows a dumb-bell with two bars articulated as prolongation the one of the other. Fig. 2 shows a duinb-bell of which the two bars are articulated upon the same intermediate piece. Fig. 3 .shows a dumb-bell with two independent bars which can swing the one upon the other and which are adapted to be maintained parallel the one with the other. Fig. 1 shows a duinb-bell with two articulated bars which hinge and which are adapted to be maintained parallel the one to the other. i

The dumb-bell represented in Fig. 1 is obtained by dividing in the middle the bar of a diiinb-bcll of the ordinary construction. The

two halves of the dunib-bell thus comprise two bars A A, provided each with a hall l5 B', the ends E E of these two bars A A being lioined end to end by means of a hinge C. as shown. In order to make use of this dumbhcll. the hinged ends of the bars A A' are placed in the hand. It will be easily understood that the hand inust grasp lirrnly the bars A A to overcome the eflect of the weight which tends to draw down the balls B B in order to inaintain the bars A A in line with one another.

1n the dumb-bell shown in Fig. 2 the two ba rs A A are articulated, by means of therespective hinges (1U, to one and the other part of an intermediate piece I), having the saine section as the bars. lhis arrangement coinpels the hand to exercise a still inore vigorous pressure upon the bars A A. In fact, during the exercise the piece l) occupies the middle of the hand and absorbs thc effort of some of the lingers, which obliges the uscr to distribute over the other lingers all the exertion necessary to maintain the bars A A in position. Moreover, as the said bars are pressed in the hand upon a shorter length it follows that the weight of the balls is more and more difficult to overcome in proportion as there is given more extension to the width of the piece l).

ln Fig. 2% the two bars A A. having cach their respective balls l l, are devised to be held parallel in the hand and thatso that the point F, carried by the bar A, may be poised in the socket (l on the bar A. .lhis arrangement permits the bars A A to tui'n iipon the point F, so that the hand which holds together these two bars inust exercise a vigorous pressure on the one part in order that the only point of Contact between the bars shall be the pivot and on the other pai't to maintain these bars rigorously parallel in the saine plane. The pivot F and the socket can cach be cast in one piece with the bars and balls, respectively, which carry theni. The distance which separates the axis of the pivot froin the vertical axis of the ball YB is equal to that which separates the axis of the socket from the vertical axis of the ball B. Owing to this arrangement, it follows that when the two bars A A are united by the pivot this latter forms the center or hinge of the construction.

IOO

Fig. 4: shows a modification of the dumbbell represented in Fig. 3. Here the union of the two bars is effected by the aid of a hinge. The concave part L of the hinge is attached by means of a screw M to the bar A, and the convex part N of the hinge is attached by means of a screw O to the bar A', the concave part L being capable of being screwed down or compressed over the convex part N for preventing the two bars from becoming detached. The free ends P of the parallel bars A vA', forming the handles of the dumb-bells, (shown in Figs. 3 and 4,) are cut on the slant' in order to permit the bars to turn without striking the balls.

These dumb-bells can be constructed of suitable materials, each bar vwith its ball being capable of being made of cast metal and in a single piece. I can also make the balls of metal and the bars of another metal or of wood. The bars may be covered with suitable handles of wood, leather, 6to.

What I claim isl. A dumb-bell comprising' two parts, each having a weight at its outer end, and a hinge at the middle of the grip portion said hinge adapted to form the only connection between said two parts.

2. A dumb-bell formed in two parts, aconveX piece attached to one of said parts, aconcave piece attached to the other of said parts adapted to fit over said convex piece and hinge said parts together whereby they may swing the one upon the other and be maintained in a parallel position with regard to each other, and a weight at the outer end of each of said parts.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

G. H. SHEPHERD. Vitnesses:

HERBERT D. JAMESON, FREDK. L. RAND. 

